1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collective management system for input/output device information in a multi-computer system containing a plurality of computers. More particularly, the invention relates to a collective management system for input/output (I/O) device information in which an input/output device configuration table and an input/output device configuration reference table can be updated collectively and at the same time, the former table defining the configurations of all input/output devices used in the multi-computer system and the latter table having a format allowing the references by each computer for the execution of data input/output of each input/output unit.
A conventional technique for managing input/output device information is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-4-90024. According to this technique, a specific computer in a multi-computer system performs system generation to generate volumes resident at each computer.
Another conventional technique is disclosed in JP-A-3-269754. According to this technique, identification information of input/output devices for each computer is stored in advance in a shared file in the form of database, and a file of input/output device configuration information, which is a combination of connection information and identification information of input/output devices, is formed for each computer.
A conventional technique for dynamic system alteration is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-3-175532. According to this technique, system generation information, having a format allowing the reference by each computer for the execution of data input/output of each input/output device, is stored in a memory of each computer. After the system generation information is altered by a definition program at one computer, other computers read the altered system generation information.
With the conventional technique for managing input/output devices, an input/output configuration definition table and an input/output configuration reference table are provided for each computer. It is necessary for each computer of a multi-computer system to define the configurations of shared input/output devices, thereby posing a problem of lowering a resource usage efficiency and increasing the process load of each computer caused by the need of defining the configuration.
With the conventional technique for dynamic system alteration, after an input/output device configuration reference table stored in each computer of a multi-computer system is altered, other computers are required to read the altered input/output device configuration reference table, thereby posing a problem of a need of a number processes for the addition, deletion, or change of shared input/output devices.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems associated with conventional techniques by providing an input/output device information management system for a multi-computer system having a plurality of computers, the management system being capable of collectively managing an input/output device configuration definition table and an input/output device configuration reference table, the former table defining configurations of all input/output devices used by the multi-computer system and the latter table having a format allowing the reference by each computer for the execution of data input/output of each input/output device, and being capable of dynamically updating both tables when any alteration such as addition, deletion, and change of an input/output device or a computer is made by a computer during its operation.
The above object of the invention is achieved by an input/output device configuration definition table stored in a shared file of the multi-computer system for defining the configurations of all input/output devices used by a multi-computer system, the input/output device configuration definition table having an input/output device information part and an input/output device connection information part disposed in a matrix form. This table allows the configurations of all input/output devices shared in the multi-computer system to be simply defined.
The above object of the invention is achieved by an input/output configuration reference table stored in a shared memory of the computer network, the input/output configuration reference table being obtained by reading the input/output configuration definition table and transforming the definition table into the format allowing the reference by each computer for the execution of data input/output of each input/output device, and the input/output device configuration reference table having an input/output device information part and an input/output device connection information part disposed in a matrix form. This table allows all input/output devices shared by the multi-computer system to be managed collectively.
In the multi-computer system having a plurality of computers, the input/output device configuration definition table and the input/output device configuration reference table each have an input/output device information part storing identification information of each input/output device such as a type and an attribute, and an input/output device connection information part storing connection information between input/output devices and computers, both the parts being disposed in a matrix form. With input/output device configuration definition table and the input/output device configuration reference table, a correspondence between all input/output devices and computers of the multi-computer system can be managed collectively.
Any computer can collectively update both the input/output device configuration definition and reference tables by a single set of operations, when an input/output device or a computer is added, deleted, or changed.